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This recipe is one of the ayuverdic teas that we were drinking at One World Ayuverda and I wanted to share this for a long time, but it was in the middle of the summer so a hot beverage felt less suitable at that time. So I ve been waiting for the weather to get more wintey, et Voila! This is a caffeine free beverage, ideal for the cold winter days, with lots of therapeutic properties due to the combination of herbs inside, which you can drink as frequently as you want. I usually make a medium sized pot in the weekend and when it starts finishing I top up with extra hot water. I put in a thermos so that I can take to work with me and also drink throughout the weekday afternoons without any fuss. I also keep the herbs in the pot so that I can top up with water and reboil when I want more or feel a bit under the weather. Indisputably the superpower of this beverage comes from the ayuverdic herb Holy basil or Tulsi which is very popular in ayuverdic medicine. But every single herb in this recipe plays its part. Tulsi is a kind of basil, though a bit different to the one you use in your pesto. It’s a tonic for the body and mind and rich in nutritional value. It contains Vitamin A and C, calcium, ginger and iron and also chlorophyll. Holy basic acts as an adaptogen helping the body to adapt to stress, reducing the physiological damage induced by high cortisol levels, it increases stamina and promotes emotional wellbeing. It protects not only from stress but also from environmental toxins. Due to its high anti oxidant content, Holy Basil is an excellent fighter of the common flu as it also has antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-inflamatory action. Its also quite good for all respiratory illnesses (from flu to asthma) and has fever reducing properties as it helps the body to fight off infections. Its anti-inflammatory action make holy basil a good partner against cancer and there are various studies that have looked into holy basils anti cancerous properties. Finally it can also help with osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. With all these benefits its by no surprise that the Indians call it “holy” and is one of the herbs that is very good to have in our natural pantry. It is mainly steeped in water and drunk as a tea. Pukha do an excellent one and you can also buy as a loose leaf from amazon. Just make sure to buy a trustworthy brand of organic produce.
The ginger, included in this beverage also has anti-inflammatory properties and helps with its warming properties to reduce mucous and treat fever. So this is another good ally against colds.
Cloves are to my opinion, one of the most underestimated herbs in our pantry. I thought that we only use them for their flavour, until I started reading about their health properties. Cloves have antiseptic and anaesthetic properties. They also aid in peristalsis and hence gut motility (= toxin removal)
This ayuverdic blend also includes a handful of fresh mint leaves and some fennel seeds which are both carminative, helping with digestion, stomach bloating and flatulence. So you could also drink this tea after lunch as a digestive. I find amazing how many remedies we hold in our kitchen and we don’t even know about them.
To make a large tea pot you will need the following
- 3 tsps of holi basil loose leaf tea (or 3 sachets if bought ready)
- A handful of fresh mint leaves
- 4 black peppercorns
- 3 cloves
- 1 tsp of fennel seeds
- 1 tsp of fresh cut ginger pieces
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 ltr of filtered water
- Blend all the herbs in water boiling in a medium sized pot. Boil for 5 mins and then simmer. Siege the beverage to remove big particles and store in a thermos or teapot.
Amazing! Thanks Kori!